Rethinking the use of finite element simulations in comparative biomechanics research

Tseng, Z. Jack

doi:10.7717/peerj.11178

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Indeed, three-dimensional FEA is time consuming, requiring a considerable amount of patience, methodological skill and anatomical knowledge. Therefore, it might be reasonable to consider modelling simplifications as economical trade-offs to reduce time investment and increase rate of research progress if those simplifications were in fact ‘good enough’ at answering the biological/biomechanical questions of interest [ 81 ]. But recently published two-dimensional FE studies on primate mandibular biomechanics present results that are inconsistent with those of any published three-dimensional FE studies of the same taxa [ 26 , 45 , 68 ], including the experimentally validated work of Panagiotopoulou et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the model reflect the system? When two-dimensional biomechanics is not ‘good enough’

Smith

Davis

Panagiotopoulou

et al. 2023

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Models are mathematical representations of systems, processes or phenomena. In biomechanics, finite-element modelling (FEM) can be a powerful tool, allowing biologists to test form–function relationships in silico , replacing or extending results of in vivo experimentation. Although modelling simplifications and assumptions are necessary, as a minimum modelling requirement the results of the simplified model must reflect the biomechanics of the modelled system. In cases where the three-dimensional mechanics of a structure are important determinants of its performance, simplified two-dimensional modelling approaches are likely to produce inaccurate results. The vertebrate mandible is one among many three-dimensional anatomical structures routinely modelled using two-dimensional FE analysis. We thus compare the stress regimes of our published three-dimensional model of the chimpanzee mandible with a published two-dimensional model of the chimpanzee mandible and identify several fundamental differences. We then present a series of two-dimensional and three-dimensional FE modelling experiments that demonstrate how three key modelling parameters, (i) dimensionality, (ii) symmetric geometry, and (iii) constraints, affect deformation and strain regimes of the models. Our results confirm that, in the case of the primate mandible (at least), two-dimensional FEM fails to meet this minimum modelling requirement and should not be used to draw functional, ecological or evolutionary conclusions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the model reflect the system? When two-dimensional biomechanics is not ‘good enough’

Smith

Davis

Panagiotopoulou

et al. 2023

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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“…Recently, Tseng (2021) found that limited numbers of finite element models may result in elevated correlations and false positives. At this scale of relatedness between individuals, we expected a high degree of consistency in stress and strain distributions ( Smith et al.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

More Challenging Diets Sustain Feeding Performance: Applications Toward the Captive Rearing of Wildlife

Mitchell

Wroe

Ravosa

et al. 2021

Integrative Organismal Biology

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Synopsis The rescue and rehabilitation of young fauna is of substantial importance to conservation. However, it has been suggested that incongruous diets offered in captive environments may alter craniofacial morphology and hinder the success of reintroduced animals. Despite these claims, to what extent dietary variation throughout ontogeny impacts intrapopulation cranial biomechanics has not yet been tested. Here, finite element models were generated from the adult crania of 40 rats (n = 10 per group) that were reared on 4 different diet regimes and stress magnitudes compared during incisor bite simulations. The diets consisted of (1) exclusively hard pellets from weaning, (2) exclusively soft ground pellet meal from weaning, (3) a juvenile switch from pellets to meal, and (4) a juvenile switch from meal to pellets. We hypothesized that a diet of exclusively soft meal would result in the weakest adult skulls, represented by significantly greater stress magnitudes at the muzzle, palate, and zygomatic arch. Our hypothesis was supported at the muzzle and palate, indicating that a diet limited to soft food inhibits bone deposition throughout ontogeny. This finding presents a strong case for a more variable and challenging diet during development. However, rather than the “soft” diet group resulting in the weakest zygomatic arch as predicted, this region instead showed the highest stress among rats that switched as juveniles from hard pellets to soft meal. We attribute this to a potential reduction in number and activity of osteoblasts, as demonstrated in studies of sudden and prolonged disuse of bone. A shift to softer foods in captivity, during rehabilitation after injury in the wild for example, can therefore be detrimental to healthy development of the skull in some growing animals, potentially increasing the risk of injury and impacting the ability to access full ranges of wild foods upon release. We suggest captive diet plans consider not just nutritional requirements but also food mechanical properties when rearing wildlife to adulthood for reintroduction.

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“…The finite element method is used to predict and compare biomechanical performance implicated as selective factors in the evolution of morphological structures. Such methods are given data results or optimization techniques that imply a predetermined load scenario, obtained structure with the minimum relation of weight-space process [35]. Service-orientation does not need the technology, but it has a wide philosophy or paradigm to include feedback-end scenarios like road network topology, high level scenarios like business process and web services [36], [37].…”

Section: Procedures For Orientation Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Barring major disturbances, it will persist indefinitely. This end point of succession is called climax [35]. Climax is the point of highest tension in a narrative work of self-perpetuating through balanced energy production and material consumption (i.e., biological culture has reached a balanced conditions because of adaptation to the area).…”

Section: Successionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engineering Topology of Construction Ecology for Dynamic Integration of Sustainability Outcomes to Functions in Urban Environments: Spatial Modeling

Mohammed¹

2022

Preprint

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Integration sustainability outcomes give attention to construction ecology in the design review of urban environments to comply with Earth’s System that is composed of integral parts of the (i.e., physical, chemical and biological components). Naturally, exchange patterns of industrial ecology have consistent and periodic cycles to preserve energy flows and materials in Earth’s System. When engineering topology is affecting internal and external processes in system networks, it postulated the valence of the first-level spatial outcome (i.e., project compatibility success). These instrumentalities are dependent on relating the second-level outcome (i.e., participant security satisfaction). The construction ecology-based topology (i.e., as feedback energy system) flows from biotic and abiotic resources in the entire Earth’s ecosystems. These spatial outcomes are providing an innovation, as entails a wide range of interactions to state, regulate and feedback “topology” to flow as “interdisciplinary equilibrium” of ecosystems. The interrelation dynamics of ecosystems are performing a process in a certain location within an appropriate time for characterizing their unique structure in “equilibrium patterns”, such as biosphere and collecting a composite structure of many distributed feedback flows. These interdisciplinary systems regulate their dynamics within complex structures. These dynamic mechanisms of the ecosystem regulate physical and chemical properties to enable a gradual and prolonged incremental pattern to develop a stable structure. The engineering topology of construction ecology for integration sustainability outcomes offers an interesting tool for ecologists and engineers in the simulation paradigm as an initial form of development structure within compatible computer software. This approach argues from ecology, resource savings, static load design, financial other pragmatic reasons, while an artistic/architectural perspective, these are not decisive. The paper described an attempt to unify analytic and analogical spatial modeling in developing urban environments as a relational setting, using optimization software and applied as an example of integrated industrial ecology where the construction process is based on a topology optimization approach.

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Rethinking the use of finite element simulations in comparative biomechanics research

Cited by 8 publications

References 30 publications

Does the model reflect the system? When two-dimensional biomechanics is not ‘good enough’

Does the model reflect the system? When two-dimensional biomechanics is not ‘good enough’

More Challenging Diets Sustain Feeding Performance: Applications Toward the Captive Rearing of Wildlife

Engineering Topology of Construction Ecology for Dynamic Integration of Sustainability Outcomes to Functions in Urban Environments: Spatial Modeling

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